Page 4-Saturday, February 11, 1978-The Michigan Daily
G~betMicbznIag
Fightv-Eight Years of Editorial Freedomn
420Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 110
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Why choose on aid plan
Fidel's troops line the globe
when .we cal
1EDERAL FUNDS to aid education
AU have been so inadequate over the
,last decade, it is' confounding to think
pthe U.S. college community would actu-
,ally have a choice of financial benefits
,to pick from in 1978.
~ But, in fact, we do.
President Carter only this week
'proposed a massive increase in the
,amount of federal money to be
available to college students in the form
of loans and grants next year. That plan
emerges at a time when Washington
legislators are already considering a
program which would offer families of
college students up to $500 in tax credits
tto offset tuition costs.
Both plans are designed to directly
help students and their families, who,
over the past ten years, have been the
unwitting victims of an uncontrollable
inflation in the cost of higher education.
The President's plan, unveiled Wed-
nesday, is designed to specifically aid
middle-income families, through the
existing program of grants and loans
sponsored by the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare (HEW).
For the first time since the start of such
aid programs; students from families
making $16,000 to $25,000 a year would
be eligible for outright grants of at
least $250. Never before has that in-
come bracket been entitled to student
grants. In addition, the ceiling for
federal student loan eligibility would be
raised from the present $30,000 income
limit-to $45,000. Low interest loans
would be accessible to more students
than ever before. The estimated cost of
Carter's proposal is $1.46 billion, most
of which can be absorbed . by -the
President's budget.
The other program under con-
sideration would bypass the HEW
student aid program and offer outright
income tax credits of up to $500 to
families paying tuition, regardless of
yearly income. This plan, introduced in
Congress last year, has already
ecured considerable support in both
The Senate and the House of Represen-
katives. Legislators have endorsed the
tuition tax credit plan, as has this
newspaper, because of its simplicity. It
s a do-it-yourself aid program. All a
amily needs to qualify are receipts
from an offspring's tuition payments,
end a deduction can be made from the
federal income tax paid in April.
n have. both?9
BOTH PROGRAMS have fundamen-
tal imperfections. The Carter plan
utilizes the already-overloaded HEW,
student aid bureaucracy, and promises
a lot of red tape, a lot of waiting and a
lot of frustration for those trying to take
advantage of it. The greatly increased
number of loan and grant applications
to be filed under the new plan will not
help matters, either. The tuition tax
credit plan is flawed, in that it is avail-
able to the wealthy who really don't
need it, and it sis useless to those
families which have such low-income
they don't pay federal taxes.
Basically, though, both programs
are based on sound and compassionate
thinking.
President Carter would like the
public and Congress to believe they
must choose between supporting either
his proposal or the tax credit proposal,
but there is no reason why both ideas
can't be implemented in some form.
While the cost' of the Carter pro-
gram, combined with the cost of the tax
credit program would undoubtedly
make the adoption of both plans im-
possible, compromise on the part of
both the President and the Congress
could create a hybrid and retain the
benefits of both plans.
The easiest solution would be to
place a ceiling on the income levels of
families eligible for the tuition tax
credit. Carter stopped at a $45,000 limit
for his middle-income proposal, and an
identical ceiling on the tax credit plan
would seem ideal.
This would cut down on the tax
credit plan's cost and satisfy President
Carter's gripe that the rich would
benefit unnecessarily. At the same
time, HEW would not get so overloaded
with grant and loan requests because
the tax credit would be available. And
members of Congress can appear
generous when it counts most - during
their election year.
Above all, the families of college
students would be getting more atten-
tion paid to their financial difficulties
than ever before. That is only proper,
considering the costs of college are
higher than they have ever been before.
Cubans are fighting wars in black Africa,
breeding bulls and building roads in Asia and
waging a low-key campaign to win influence
among their Caribbean neighbors.
The island nation's campaign for Third
World leadership - with Africa replacing
Latin America as it's top priority - mixes
the gospel of socialism with a flood of
soldiers, doctors and other technical ad-
visers.
CUBA'S LARGEST presence'abroad is in
Africa where an estimated 27,000 Cubans,
mostly soldiers, operate in 16 countries.
President Fidel Castro also has dispatched
his "international builders brigade" to Viet-
nam and is wooing friends in Jamaica in the
Caribbean and Guyana on South America's
northeast coast.
Aside from soldiers, the brigade resem-
bles in many ways the U.S. Peace Corps. It
includes everything from teachers, basket-
ball coaches and doctors to construction
workers and dance instructors, often followed
by propaganda movies and the government
news agency, Prensa Latina.
IN VIETNAM, Cuba has opened a bull-
breeding center northwest of Hanoi, built a
hospital in central Binh Tri Province and con-
structed a 30-mile highway southwest of
Hanoi linking industrialand agricultural
areas.
The Vietnamese government recently
awarded friendship medals to 20 Cuban ex-
perts for their contribution to war reconstruc-
tion.
In the Caribbean, Cubans in Jamaica have
built an agricultural school for 500 students
outside Kingston, have a micro-dam project
in the works, are training construction crews
and are providing technical assistance in
sports, science, tourism, mining and
agriculture.
IN GUYANA, a brigade of doctors has
been working in Georgetown and remote
areas of the interior. Cuban experts in
Georgetown are also in charge of the shrimp
fleet, training Guyanese in fishing.
Elsewhere in the region, Cuba is the main
By Larry Heinzerling
supporter of the Puerto Rican independence
movement. Informed sources in San Juan say
they are convinced that Havana is the main
financial backer of the Marxist pro-
independence Puerto Rico Socialist Party.
Some of the islands of the Caribbean are
seeking independence and Cuba is believed to
be seeking influence in those areas through
political parties rathe'r than violent
revolution.
Cuba's involvement in Africa was capped
last 'March by a tour by Castro to Somalia,
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Angola.
Its role in Africa has widened since.
LAST MONTH, a soldier whom Somalia
identified as one of an estimated 2,500 Cubans
supporting Ethiopian forces was captured by
ethnic Somali insurgents in the Ogaden region
of eastern Ethiopia.
Also last month, Western diplomats in
Lusaka reported the recent arrival of an
estimated 50 to 75 Cuban military advisers in
Zambia to train black nationalist guerrillas
fighting in neighboring Rhodesia.
The report was called "complete rubbish"
by Joshua Nkomo, leader of the Zimbabwe
African Peoples Union, who visited Havana
last year.
Cuba's largest presence in Africa is still in
Angola, the former Portuguese colony where
an expeditionary force of 19,000 soldiers and
4,000 civilian advisers are backing the
Marxist government against two guerrilla
nationalist movements.
CUBA'S MOST RECENT major commit-
ment is to Ethiopia, whose leftist regime is
fighting at least two secessionist movements.
Cuban troops are reported to be flying into
Ethiopia from Angola and Havana aboard
Soviet-made IL-62 jet transports to prepare
for a counteroffensive against Somali-backed
rebels in the Ogaden area.
Angola, Ethiopia and Zambia are only
three of the 16 African states where Cuba is
reported to be training armies, growing cof-
fee, running hospitals, building schools and
establishing state security systems.
Castro also provided military advisers to
Arab South Yemen to support insurgent ac-
tivities against neighboring Oman. Oman
crushed the rebellion. But virtually all of
Cuba's soldiers overseas are in Africa, and it
is Africa which Castro has apparently choser
as a battleground in his bid for Third Worl
leadership, with the blessing and funding o
the Soviet Union.
"AFRICAN BLOOD flows through our
veins," Castro said more than a year ago.
"We are not only a Latin American nation, we
are a Latin African nation."
Cuban blood has spilled in Angola, where
thousands of Cuban troops helped President
Agostinho Neto and his Popular Movement
for the Liberation of Angola defeat two other
nationalist armies backed by the United
States and South Africa.
U.S. officials in Washington say 500 to 600
Cuban soldiers have been killed in clashes
with antigovernment forces. Some political
observers regard Angola as a potential Cuban
Vietnam since one of the defeated factions,
Jonas Savimbi's National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola, is still fighting a
guerrilla war in the southern part of the coun-
try.
The Cubans are not universally embraced
in black Africa. Such conservative leaders as
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the
Ivory Coast fear communist expansion.
STORIES OF THE "ugly Cuban" also are
beginning to surface.
"Go boil this water again," one Cuban was
heard shouting at a waiter at a cafe in Bissau,
capital of Guinea-Bissau, last year. "You
want us to get sick with this African water?"
This report was compiled from infor-
mation collected by Associated Press
bureaus around the world and was written
by veteran African correspondent Larry
Heinzerling, who has followed Cuba's
buildup in that part of the world.
LETTERS TO THE DAILY
No problems in Bursley, say RAs,
I
Editorials which appear without a by-line represent a con-
sensus opinion of the Daily's editorial board. All other editorials,
as well as cartoons, are the opinions of the individuals who sub-
mit them.
" " " " " " G "
0
1':r
b ,
A "
11
To The Daily:
This letter is written in
revulsion at the highly inaccurate
and selective Daily coverage cen-
tering around former Bursley
Resident Advisor Eric Arnson.
The Daily seems to have
fabricated a totally ridiculous
picture of what goes on in Bur-
sley. Consistently, it has
disregarded the issue of Mr. Ar-
nson's job status to focus attacks
on Tod Hanson, Building Director
of Bursley-for whatever
reasons.
We would like to clear up some
of the inaccuracies in the article
and in the editorial.
First, there is and has been no
"crack down" on resident drug
use in Bursley. The policy con-
cerning drugs is as it always has
been. No resident has had their
lease terminated for use of drugs,
nor have any arrests been made.
We challenge the Daily to
produce a single scrap of eviden-
ce to support this hallucinatory
conclusion.
Second, the issue of student in-
put into staff selection has never
been an issue until this week's
Daily article. This is another
total fabrication, picked out of
thin air in an underhanded at-
tempt to discredit Mr. Hanson.
There has been no change in
level of resident input from last
year to this year. The only
change (which theDaily would
have discovered had ittaken the
minimal effort to read Bursley's
staff selection procedures) is that
the group interview, in which a
number of R.A. candidates were
interviewed for 10 minutes by a
number of residents, has been
abolished. This change was made
in response to resident and staff
input-RA. applicants from last
year felt that the group inter-
views were worse than useless
and screened out potentially good
staff people (who, after all, can
demonstrate their abilities in 10
minutes?)
The committee consisting of
non-reapplying staff and volun-
teering residents which will in-
terview Resident Advisor ap-
plicants individually, still exists,
performing the exact same fun-
ction as it did last year.
Mr. Hanson has not "taken
over much of the process him-
self." Where does the Daily come
up with this bullshit???? He has
the exact same role as the
Building Director did last year.
Mr. Hanson has repeatedly
asked for and utilized staff input
in the formation of the selection
procedures. He has asked all
residents (twice, at this point)
who riteresited to volunteer to
asked to discuss expectations at
orientation . At that time, they
were much debated, and
modified in several instances, so
that every staff person could feel
comfortable with them, and raise
the objections. Mr. Hanson ac-
tively sought, in fact, demanded,
input into thse expectations.
Every staff person knew that
trafficking in drugs would result
in termination. No one had any
objections to this aspect of the.
policy. Everyone knew what the
score was.
In such cases, the issue is not
how much dope was involved,
how much it cost, or who profited.
The issue is violation of a con-
tract freely entered into. The
issue is not the morality or the
legality of using dope in Ann Ar-
bor. Many Bursley staff people
enjoy using dope outside the
building. The staff does not make
judgements on other staff or on
residents who smoke dope.
We do not feel that an R.A. will
be "isolated" from their residen-
ts if they don't smoke dope with
them; and certainly no damage
will be done to relationships if
R.A.s do not sell dope to their
residents. There are plenty of
R.A.s around whose floors
Tznnnt S .Crna
respect and like them,' without
smoking dope with them.
To say that violation of, a clearly
stated expectation of job perfor-
mance, with knowledge of the
consequences involved, has "no
real bearing on R.A. performan-
ce" is patently absurd.
We resent the Daily stating that
dissent in Bursley is being stifled.
We resent the implication that
Mr. Hanson fired Mr. Arnson for,
his "vocal" views 'about
policy-that is just not true. The
Daily implies that the rest of the
staff is being trampled on by the
Building Director. This is also un-
true. Since coming to Bursley last
year, Tod has restored en-
thusiasm for being on staff. He
has re-established all-staff
meetings at which we can give
him our opinions about policies.
(at none of which, by the way,
was resident input into staff
selection ever discussed). The
R.D. staff in Bursley has been
given a greater voice than ever
before in how the building is run,
and both the R.D.s and, Tod
regularly seek input from the rest
of the staff.
Tod has never to our knowledge
abused his authority. He is con-
sistently fair and reasonable, and
brings an extremely high level of
expertise and genuine caring to
his job. He spends an enormous
amount of extra time beyond his
job requirements, talking to staff.
and students. We are proud to
work for and with him.
We believe that the Daily owes
the entire Bursley staff an
apology for the imputations
presented in its editorial.
-William H. McGee III
Susan McGee
Karen Livingston
Colleen Coughlin
Judy Goodstein
Diane M. Cupps
Leroy Freelon, Jr.
Colin A. Joseph
Nora Katherine Foley
Karen Carrington
Laurie Scheich
Mark O. Mathews
Jim Allardyce
Keith Kline
Thomas E. Bowe
Zeke A. Gikas
All of the aore, -itht hee-
ception of Susan Mc,'Iee. art,
imenhers of the Resitiential
.Staff at 1 iurslea Iil.
Turning the .heat on
By Bill Becker
Margarite Mack has a five month old baby who East Huron Street. Says Lochrie, "When I moved
has been sick with pneumonia for the past month. into my place in the fall, my radigtors had jam-
According to Mack, it's not the cold outside that med in the 'on' position and it was unbearably
has caused her baby to come down with hot.'
pneumonia, but rather it's the cold inside her "Now, when I most need that heat, I don't have
apartment. any," says Lochrie. "It was so cold in my room the
Mack, who lives in the Woodland Hills Apar- other day that I could see my breath"
tments in Ann Arbor, has been without heat off A tenant who is suffering from lack of heat, not
and on for about a month. only has the right to withhold rent until the lan-
dlord fixes the heat, but also has no obligation to
"IT'S So bad not that I keep my little baby at pay rent for the days that they are without heat.
my mother's house," explains Mack. "I just can't
trust the heat to be working all the time. IF THE heat in your apartment fails, and the
"I'd call the landlord and ask him to fix my heat landlord refuses to remedythe situation promptly,
and after a two or three day delay, they'd finally you have the legal right to do the following:. Move
come by and make some minor adjustment which into a hotel until your dwelling warms up again,
would only last a week or so before it'broke down and charge the hotel bil1 to your landlord. (If you
again." choose to do this, you must choose the most
It wasn't until Margarite Mack called the Ann reasonably-priced hotel you can find which is
Arbor Tenant's Union that she learned what rights close to the quality of your rental unit.)
she has as a tenant. Exercising these rights can involve a com-
plicated legal battle with your landlord-but still,
MICHIGAN State law gives tenants the right to they are your rights. For advice in handling such a
withhold their rent if their landlord violates the problem, contact your own attorney, an attorney
premises in reasonable repair. at a free Legal Aid Society, or the Tenants Union.
The Ann Arbor Housing Code states that every Your can reach Campus Legal Aid society, or the
rental dwelling must have heating facilities which Tenants Union. You can reach Campus Legal Aid
are capable of heating all habitable rooms to a at 763-9920, and you can reach the Tenants Union
temperature of 70 degrees Farenheit when the at 761-1225.